A team of local blind curlers representing 100 Mile House finished in third place at a provincial bonspiel in Vancouver on Jan. 10-11.
100 Mile House went 1-2 at the West Coast Blind Curling Association (WCBCA) 2014 Provincial Playdowns, after winning the event last year.
Local players include Katelyn Vanderburgh, Marilyn Vinson, Kathy Sanness, Lori Fry, Jim Vinson and Joey Seiler, a sighted guide.
The group started against Kelowna the morning of Jan. 10 and lost 9-5.
Kelowna went on to win all three of its games and the provincial title.
“They brought out their top guns and they played well,” says Fry.
“I think we did too. That was a good game.”
Later that afternoon, 100 Mile House beat Vancouver 9-3. They were tied for second place with Prince George, which they met on Jan. 11 and lost 12-2.
“We did not play well,” Fry says of the Prince George match.
“Sometimes one or two of us don’t throw well. But this time, that game, we were all not playing our best.”
Next up for the 100 Mile curlers is a national competition in Ottawa on Feb. 1, which they qualified for last year.
“We will be known as Team BC going to Ottawa,” Fry says, adding it’s a step up in competition, and “a whole new environment” to adapt to.
“We’re used to only (playing on) three sheets of ice. We see so much with our ears, sound is crucial. When you go into a larger centre that has eight or 10 or 12 sheets of ice, and they’re all going, it totally affects your game.”
The curling team has come and gone a long way since getting into the sport as a recreational pastime. They’re now into their fourth season of competition. After Ottawa, they’re heading to Edmonton in March for the Western Blind Curling Association (WBCA) Championships.
“The team has been to Kelowna, Prince George, Regina, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and now Edmonton and Ottawa. That’s a lot of getting around in a short while.”
The rules for national competitions are a bit different regarding the pace of the game, who can sweep and the person throwing the lead rocks has to be totally blind.
100 Mile House is borrowing a couple players for the Feb. 1 tournament. Joining M. Vinson, J. Vinson and Fry are Bill Mah (lead) from Kelowna and Rob Camozzi (sweeper) from Vancouver, as well as Sharon and Nick Goshorn, currently living in Kamloops and formerly from 100 Mile, who will be assisting the team as coach and sighted guide on the ice.
Adds Fry: “I guess it’s another new challenge and we’re going to try and rise to the occasion.”
